How to transfer shows from your TiVo® DVR to your PC
It’s easy to transfer recorded TV shows from your TiVo DVR to your PC so you can watch your favorites on your PC or laptop.
Before you begin, make sure that you have TiVo Desktop software for the PC installed on your PC, and that your TiVo DVRs are connected to your home network.
- If you have not yet installed TiVo Desktop software, download it now.
- If you have not yet connected your DVRs to your home network, see how to connect your DVR to your network and the Internet.
Transferring shows to your PC
If you record a show on your DVR, you can easily play it back on your PC or laptop. Here’s how.
- Hide the steps
On your PC, launch TiVo Desktop.
Click “Pick Recordings to Transfer.” A window showing your TiVo DVR’s “Now Playing List” appears. If you have more than one TiVo DVR in your home network, their names appear in a pull-down list. Select the DVR that has the recording you want to transfer.
Note: Shows that cannot be transferred due to copy protection restrictions are marked with a red circle slash.
Highlight any title in the list to see more information about the show—the same show information you have on your TiVo DVR.
Check the box next to the title of the show (or shows) you want to transfer.
Click “Start Transfer.”
That’s it! While transferring recordings, TiVo Desktop displays the status and the time remaining. Click “Transfer Status” to view details of transfers in progress. Transfer times vary, but may take as long as the show’s duration (i.e., up to one hour for a one hour show) to complete the transfer.
Setting up auto-transfers
If the show is part of a series, the “Auto-Transfer this Series” button 
is available. Click this button, and TiVo Desktop will transfer each episode automatically as soon as it’s available on your DVR’s “Now Playing List.”
Watching recordings on your PC
Recordings you transfer to your computer are listed in TiVo Desktop’s “Now Playing List.” To reach the “Now Playing List,” click “TiVo Recordings.”
To watch a recording, select any title from the list (even one that’s still transferring) and click “Play.” Your computer’s default media player (in most cases, Windows Media Player) starts automatically.
Refer to your media player’s instructions for more about playing recordings.
Need more help?
- Support article: TiVo Desktop troubleshooting
- Support article: Installing TiVo Desktop
